The World Cup (photo Lapresse)
The 2030 World Cup has been assigned. It will be played on three continents and six different countries
It’s official: the FIFA executive committee has unanimously given the green light to the joint candidacy of Morocco, Spain and Portugal to host the 2030 football World Cup. This landmark decision was announced after the African, European and South American confederations reached an unprecedented agreement.
The 2030 edition will be an extraordinary event, as it will mark the centenary of the first World Cup, which was held in 1930 in Uruguay. In honor of this historic anniversary, it was planned a celebratory ceremony in Montevideo. Furthermore, three matches will open the tournament, drawing attention to the place where it all began: the Centenario stadium in Montevideo. The other two initial matches will take place in Argentina and Paraguay, each in their own country.
The final assignment of the organization will take place in 2024, once all the technical and bureaucratic details have been completed. However, this decision paved the way for a tournament with global reach and an unparalleled history.
Spain, leader of this joint bid, will return to organize a World Cup 48 years after the unforgettable 1982 tournament, won by Bearzot and Paolo Rossi’s Italy. Recently, there was a burning case with the president of the Spanish Football Federation, Rubiales, removed from office following a stolen kiss from a player. However, Madrid’s Superior Sports Council reassured FIFA that this will have no impact on the organization of the event. The investment planned for Spain amounts to 1,430 million euros, with 750 million allocated to infrastructure and 680 million to organizational expenses.
READ ALSO: Spain, FIFA suspends president Rubiales for the “non-consensual kiss”
Portugal, which had already hosted the European Championships in 2004, prepares for its first World Cup experience. Stadiums confirmed to host matches include the Bernabeu in Madrid, Camp Nou in Barcelona and Cartuja in Seville for Spain, while in Portugal the Stadio da Luz and Alvalade in Lisbon will be used, as well as O Dragao in Porto. In Morocco, six cities – Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Agadir, Marrakech and Fez – will have the honor of hosting the matches.
The choice to share the responsibility of the organization between three nations represents a sign of unity in an often divided world. “In a divided world, football unites”, commented the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, observing how this edition will involve six nations from three different continents. “Two continents – Africa and Europe – united not only in a celebration of football, but also in providing a unique social and cultural cohesion. What a great message of peace, tolerance and inclusion” Infantino noted. “A historical fact”applauded the president of the South American confederation (Conmebol), Alejandro Dominguez, “there are many reasons to celebrate and above all to thank those who made this proposal possible”. “It will always be the best world championship”, assured the president of the Uruguayan Federation, Ignacio Alonso.
READ ALSO: Infantino-Fifa until 2027. Club World Cup with 32 teams: Inter-Juventus in pole position
#World #Cup #played #continents #FIFAs #decision